This invention relates generally to a vaporizer and, more particularly, to an electrical vaporizer having a pair of parallel electrodes projecting into a boiler chamber.
Electrode type vaporizers typically have a pair of opposite polarity electrodes projecting into a boiler chamber. The liquid conducts current between the electrodes producing resistance heating that induces boiling of the liquid and resultant vapor. Generally, the vaporizer includes a compartment to isolate the boiler chamber from a larger reservoir and the electrodes from a user. During operation of the vaporizer, the spacing between the electrodes controls the magnitude of current flow which should be uniform to provide consistent performance. However, factors such as inaccurate electrode assembly or heat induced electrode distortion can cause erratic vaporizer performance.
In attempts to overcome the above problems, some vaporizers have been equipped with members that position free ends of vaporizer electrodes. Devices of that type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,981,765; 2,755,372 and 2,843,891. Although alleviating erratic performance, prior electrode positioning structures have undesirably complicated vaporizer assembly operations.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an electrode vaporizer with predictable performance characteristics.